Tips from a Concrete Contractor in the Know

His eminence Old Man Winter nearly upon us, the home need be prepared to face its annual slog versus the elements. If you have any last second concrete projects in mind, now would be the ideal time to pursue them! So, if you are searching for a concrete contractor near Eden Prairie, call Wohlwend Concrete! In honor of our return to snow and ice, Wohlwend Concrete has a few tips to share on tuck-pointing and the de-icing of your existing concrete.

Tuck-pointing, in a nutshell, is the process of repairing the mortar joints existing within stone or brick walls. An experienced masonry contractor, such as Wohlwend Concrete, can perform this sort of task for you. We will first glance upon the brick and mortar to verify whether tuck-pointing is needed. If so, we will grind or rake out old mortar, refilling it with new mortar. Tuck-pointing is a wise move as you will be effectively keeping moisture out of the walls, preventing moisture problems from developing. The life of your wall or chimney will be extended and this effort will also serve as a means of prevention against costly repairs down the road. Once a mortar dependent wall breaks down the lone way to repair it is to tear it all down and build a new one.

The cold temperatures we love bring with them snow and ice storms that wreak havoc on your walkways and other concrete-based bits. There is an art to the de-icing of concrete steps and walkways, so you should prepare your tearful goodbye to rock salt (aka sodium chloride). Rock salt cannot take the blame for the damage that occurs to your concrete, but the constant tug of temperature extremes (rapid heating and subsequent refreezing) can, will and does.

Rather than the cheaper and more popular choice, look for calcium chloride. This blend will not destroy your concrete but will swiftly melt the ice off of your steps and walkways without providing any level of breakdown. Calcium chloride far exceeds sodium chloride in its overall compatibility with Mother Nature. Another blend every bit as efficient and ecological is magnesium chloride. It is an additional environmentally friendly option but is does come with a higher price tag than calcium chloride.

The most important thing to remember when de-icing your concrete steps is that once you put the de-icer on, there is still work to do. You must take the time to remove all of the slushy ice. Taking just a few minutes to shovel clear the steps and walkways of slush and ice will help prevent the destruction of your concrete.

“Project was done much faster that we expected. Scott and his crew did an awesome job on our new steps and they look great. I hardly knew he was here. Would definitely call him again in the future if we have another project.”
- NEIGHBOR IN ST. PAUL, MN